strange IBMs

From: Lawrence Walker <lwalker_at_mail.interlog.com>
Date: Tue Mar 10 04:18:59 1998

On 10 Mar 98 at 13:11, David Wollmann wrote:

> At 01:27 PM 3/10/98, you wrote:
> > This morning I went to a trift store and found an IBM PC that said
> >"Personal Computer 3270". How rare are these? I've never seen one before.
> >I have seen AT 3270s but not a PC. This one had a full height hard drive
> >with IBM logo on it and a full height 5 1/4" floppy drive with IBM's logo.
> >It had model 5271 marked on the back.
>
> Whatever you do, don't throw the 3270 adapters, keyboard adapters or APA
> cards (the card that bridges to the display adapter) away. Those are hard
> to come by, and we get calls for them on a regular basis.
>
 
  There was a thread on this a while back. Below follows the relevant
details. I still have the monitor.

ciao larry

On 3 Feb 98 at 17:22, Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk wrote:
snip
>
> > I'm sure my 3270pc handles a "better" quality CGA. It just looks
> > like EGA, thought it was... It was running a version of Norton
> > Utes and it was just beautiful turquoise blue set and clear
> > characters.
> >
> > I'd have to think this was better than CGA, especially since it
> > took two coupled long cards to run the video...
> >
> > -Mike
>
> No, it isn't PGA. (Although most of the chips on the cards are
> likely to be PGAs, in IBM custom metal cans, as I recall...)
>
> The IBM 5272, the 3270PC display, was a very nice monitor. I don't
> know the pixel resolution, but I'd guess at 800 x 400.
> Unfortunately, AFAIK, it only did 8 colours.
>
> The 3270PC display card did TEXT MODES ONLY - it was aimed at
> emulating the 3279 terminal. You could buy two add-on cards for it
> that went in the slots either side in the motherboard.
>
> 1. The PS card. This provided emulation of the Programmed Symbols
> option on the 3279. Very nice graphics, but only as a terminal, not
> as a PC (although presumably you could have written PC drivers for
> it...)
>
> 2. The APA card. This provided support of the All Points
> Addressable modes of the CGA. These CGA modes were displayed in the
> top lefthand corner of the screen. And the only 8 colours reduced
> the capability somewhat as well.
>
> It looked very good, but AFAIK IBM never supported it properly.
> Pity.
 
snip

> But your description of the 3270PC sounds like you've got only one
> of PS and APA, alas.
>
> Hope this helps
>
> Philip.
>
I've had a 5272 -23 monitor stashed for some time. Was never able to
get it working on an XT trying various standard cards and drivers,
altho it did display jumbled-up color lines so I figured it must be
the driver. IBM wouldn't/couldn't offer me any help.
 From the above, it appears that I would need a 3270pc display card
and one of two add-on cards. If I was fortunate enough to find these
would it work on an XT ?

ciao larry
lwalkerN0spaM_at_interlog.com
Received on Tue Mar 10 1998 - 04:18:59 GMT